A Convenient Friendship
by GreatDarkProtection
Summary: Skye works at a convenience store right down the street from Ward's apartment. He gets the same thing everyday at the same time, so she decides to get it for him. AU land where Hydra was defeated way back when.
1. Chapter 1

Skye works at a convenience store that Ward comes to everyday. He gets the same thing at the same time and she just starts getting it for him

* * *

He immediately walks to the back of the store and I grin.

"Hey, muscle man. Hey," I call, trying to get his attention, "Yo, Robot."

He finally glances at me and I hold up his usual and grin. He walks up to the counter suspiciously.

"How did you know I was getting that?"

I laugh, "Come on, man. You come in here every day at the exact same time and get the exact same thing. I decided to save you some time."

"Why?"

"Just figured I'd do something nice. Hey don't look into it so much, dude. I'm just trying to be nice."

"Oh. Thanks," he says hesitantly and finally gives me a slight smile.

He starts to pull out some money but I wave him away, "I get a free purchase every day. Might as well give it to you. I never use it anyway."

"You don't have to," he said pushing his money at me.

I push it back, "It's the least I can do for a protector for this great world."

"Huh?"

I gesture to his SHIELD badge, partially covered by his hoodie.

"Oh. Well, thanks," he offers another smile before beginning to walk out.

"I'm Skye by the way," I call.

He turns around and looks at me, "Grant. Ward."

"Well nice to formally meet you Mr. Ward sir," I say with a salute.

He gives me an exasperated look, but grins, "Nice to meet you too, ma'am," I laugh and give a little wave as he walks away.

* * *

It starts to become sort of a tradition. Ward comes in at the exact same time (4:20 pm) and walks to the cash register where I have his usual waiting for him (a large black coffee and a turkey sub) and we talk. We don't talk a lot, casual conversation about the weather or what we did the day before. I learned a while ago not to ask about his job. He couldn't talk about it and he got really suspicious if I asked.

Most days it was normal. He would come in wearing a t-shirt and leather jacket or hoodie and jeans, stone-faced until he saw me and then he would smile and laugh if I was lucky and he would act like a normal person. I would tell bad jokes and make sarcastic comments about punctuality and monotonous food choices. We had a good, fun thing going. Most days. Today was not most days.

He walked in with his hood up and wandered through the aisles for a couple of minutes before eventually walking up to the register, angling his head so the hood cast a shadow over most of his face.

I give him a ready smile and push his food over to him. He grabs it and mutters a gruff "thanks" before turning away. Frowning, I reach out and put a hand on his arm, tugging on his sleeve.

"Grant?" I hesitate. We normally talk a little before he leaves.

He turned back and from the shift of light, I could just barely see the bruise on his jaw. I gasp and reach up, tugging the hood off and the rest of his face is exposed to the light. He had a dark bruise along his jaw and down his neck, a split lip, and a nasty cut along his hairline starting at his left ear and ending near his eyebrow.

"Oh my God! Did someone try to scalp you?" I exclaim.

He sighed, but gave me a small smile, "Just a tough mission. No big deal."

"No big deal? You look terrible. Does it hurt?"

"It's nothing," he said, but his voice was strained and slightly hoarse.

"What's wrong with your voice?" I ask. I was not known for my ability to hide what I'm thinking.

"My throat is a little screwed up. Someone kicked me," he explained, leaning closer so I could see where the sole of the shoe made an imprint on the skin of his neck.

"Ouch," I murmured, "What happened?"

"A mission was more difficult than expected. That's all," his suspicious voice was back.

"Relax, Robot. You should know by now that I don't care about the mission details."

He sighed again and smiled, "I know. Habit."

I nod, "Well, stay safe. You're scary enough without the cuts and bruises."

"I will," he grinned and my heart gave a little stutter, "See you later, Skye."

"Bye, Grant."

He gave me a quick smile before tugging his hood back on and walking out the door.

* * *

Things returned to normal for a couple of weeks. Ward started healing, though he told me the cut on his hairline would scar. We continue to talk, nothing serious, nothing too personal. We formed an easy, fun friendship.

Today, as he walked in, I had a relaxed smile already in place.

"Hey, Robo. What's up?" he grinned.

"Hey, Skye."

"You're early," I teasingly accused, "Couldn't wait to see me?"

"Yes, Skye. I ran out of my apartment _a whole minute early_ just to see your pretty face."

I laughed, trying to fight the blush that was coming on. It was no secret that my new acquaintance was attractive. My manager had made quite a few comments on how she would open the doors for him any day. I would rather not know what she means by that.

"I knew it!" I grinned and he laughed. I pushed his food over to him.

"How has your day been?" he asked, taking a sip of coffee.

"Boring," I groan, dramatically dropping my head on the counter, grinning in satisfaction as he laughed.

"Me, too," he agreed as I lifted my head.

"How can your job be boring?" I question, "You get to beat people up and save people's lives."

"It's only interesting when you have a mission. My supervisor ordered a mission-free week," he said it like he hated the idea of a week off.

I laugh, "What did you do?"

"He said that I needed to take a break. Something about the fact that I hadn't taken a vacation day in five years."

I stare, "Seriously?! You haven't taken a day off in _five years_?"

"When you're a government agent, you never have a day off," he said defensively.

I laugh again, "Well, you deserve a week off. Go have fun."

"Fun?" he said, "What is this foreign word?" he mocked.

"Well, fun is a term meaning to participate in activities that are pleasurable to you," I state in my best sophisticated voice and he laughed. "What do you like to do?"

"I don't know," he said, tossing his empty coffee cup into the trash can, "I like to shoot guns."

I laugh, "Something that doesn't involve your job in any way."

"Umm," he seemed to really be struggling, "I like dogs."

"There's a great park about five blocks away, you could hang out there," I suggest.

He nodded, "Sure. I better get going, maybe my S.O. needs my expertise on a mission."

I laugh and cross my fingers teasingly, "I hope you get a job on your week off!" I declare and he laughs.

"Bye, Skye."

"Later, Turbo."

* * *

I've noticed in my limited time Ward that he is a very private person. He doesn't like to talk about himself a lot and he gets cagey when you ask personal questions. It's gotten to the point where I ramble on and on about my minor life and he just listens, occasionally commenting or laughing. It's quite embarrassing, really. Telling boring, normal stories to a man who lives a life of action and excitement. But he seems to enjoy the stories and I try to animate them as much as possible, using over-dramatic hand gestures and ridiculous imitations.

I asked him why he liked my stories so much once. He gave me this sad smile and sighed.

"They're basically the only things in my life that are normal. Sometimes I forget that people live completely happy lives, oblivious to everything evil that happens all around them. It's nice to have stories like yours to reconnect myself to that world."

After that, I try to make my stories more entertaining.

Sometimes, he would think aloud about his dreams of having a normal life.

"It just seems so much easier," he says on one of these days, "Not having to fight to save, not only yourself, but everyone else, too. I know that sounds selfish, but…"

"No," I protest, "It's not. Sometimes, you need to think of what's best for you, not everyone else."

Our conversations got longer and more personal after that.

He still wouldn't talk about his job or his past, but he'd talk about himself a little bit more. What he likes (board games, historical fiction), what he hates (liars, vampire romance novels), his pet peeves (pen clicking, nail biting), just small things, but it was more than what he would say before. And as he opened up, his smile got wider, brighter, more relaxed. It could light up the world.

It certainly lit up mine.

* * *

Once, he brought some people with him. A man and a woman, both younger than him, trailing behind the Robot as he walks up to me, his stony 'Agent Ward' face firmly in place. The two chattered excitedly over each other about things I couldn't possibly understand.

"T-1000!" I exclaim and he smiles slightly.

"This is Fitz. This is Simmons," he introduced, gesturing to the two people behind him, who had finally stopped talking to stare at her, "This is Skye," he sighed.

The two people looked at him in confusion, but smiled at her politely, "Nice to meet you," the girl, Simmons, said shaking my hand.

"Why don't y'all go get some food?" he asked, "I'm buying."

They nodded and turned away, murmuring to each other, "Why did he introduce us to the cashier?" "I don't know, Fitz, maybe he fancies her."

Ward shook his head and smiled at me apologetically, "Sorry, they kept asking where I was going."

"Are they friends of yours? You don't look like the type to be buddies with leprechauns."

He laughed, "They're on my team. They've been staying at my apartment for the past couple of days."

"I thought you seemed a little tense," she teased and he grinned.

"Yeah, they're apartment building apparently had 'a high level of suspicious energy'," he mocked and I laughed.

"What's their deal? Do they share a brain or something?" he laughed.

"They've been best friends forever apparently. They're scientists."

"They seem nice," I smile as I watch them bicker over the health benefits of a bag of chips.

"They're exhausting," he groaned and put his head in his hands like he could barely keep it up on his own.

I laughed, "They can't be that bad."

"Oh, really? 'Agent Ward, could we do a sleep study on you this week?' 'Ward, your kitchen is insufficiently organized, I changed it for you.' 'Ward, the guest bed hurts my back, could we switch?'" he said, doing his best British accent and I laugh.

"_Terrible accent,"_ I hear Simmons call from the candy aisle and he rolls his eyes.

"Well, you are a robot. Can't they reprogram you to be just like them?" he laughed and the duo looked up at him, startled.

They walked over to us, hands full of junk food, and Ward rolled his eyes again, grinning at me.

"Are you guys done?" he asked in a bored voice and they nodded.

I rang them up- and if I gave them a discount because they were Ward's friends so what- and passed Ward his food, grinning. Ward grinned at me and the two scientists' eyes widened.

"Have you ever seen Ward smile?" Fitz muttered to Simmons and she shook her head.

"I didn't know he knew how to smile," she replied and looked over at me, "I think he fancies her."

I could feel myself starting to blush and chuckled nervously. Like always, I covered my feelings with jokes.

"Well, Terminator, I feel special. I'm honored to be the one and only recipient of a Grant Ward Smile," he laughed and the science twins (they really did resemble each other) eyes widened even further.

"It's for special people," he joked.

"Oh, but these two lovely people behind you are special. Why would you not smile at them?"

"Yeah, Ward. Why are you so serious around us?" Fitz said.

"It's just his wiring," I said, leaning around Ward towards Fitz, "You see, when he's around you, he's the Terminator he is, but when he's around me, he malfunctions and acts like a normal person, or at least as normal s T-1000 can get."

Ward rolled his eyes, "Alright, it's time to go."

Fitz and Simmons waved and walked out the store. Ward looked over at me and smiled.

"They're not that bad," I grinned.

"Spend a week straight with them. You'd change your mind," he said and I laughed.

"Well don't keep the children waiting," I said and he chuckled.

"See you tomorrow," he smiled warmly.

"Bye, Grant," I smiled and watched him walk out the store.


	2. Chapter 2

When Grant came in the next day, he was alone, but apparently the science twins were still at his apartment, which was evident in the dark circles under his eyes and his grumpy face. I laughed and he glared at me, grabbing his coffee and taking a large gulp before I started talking.

"I'm guessing you're teammates are still at your apartment?" I grinned.

"Yes," he groaned, "They would not let me sleep. It was 'Can we do another sleep study, Ward?' or 'Let's watch a Doctor Who marathon!' or 'Why don't you invite your girlfriend over and we can watch a movie?'" he groaned again and laid his head down on the counter.

It was a good thing, too, because now he couldn't see me blush. Girlfriend? Hardly. Well…not yet at least. But…were we even friends, really? All we do is talk, and it's just for a little while a day. Did that make us friends?

I pushed the thoughts out of my head. It was too confusing to think about now, "Looks like you could use a nap."

"More than you know," he murmured against the arm he was laying on.

Out of instinct, I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair. It was something some of the nuns would do at St. Agnes when one of the kids was having a bad day. I didn't mean to do it, it was an instinct. I immediately regretted it when the muscles in his back tense and I yank my hand away.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, embarrassed.

"No, it's okay," he said, looking up at me with a small smile, his chin propped on his arm and, I swear, he looked so cute in that moment I could just kiss him. Wait, what? This is just getting complicated. "It just surprised me, is all."

I smiled and tentatively reached my hand out again, pushing some of his hair out of his face, grinning slightly when he sighed and closed his eyes, leaning into my hand a little. He laid his head back down on the counter as I continued to run my fingers through his unfairly soft hair.

We stayed that way for a while until I noticed the amount of people in the store and all the people staring at us oddly. I normally wouldn't care but it looked like people wanted to check out and I could not afford to get fired.

I pulled my hand away and I thought I heard Grant whine, but decided it was just in my imagination. He lifted his head and looked up at her with bleary eyes. I grinned at him and he smiled sleepily back.

"I have customers," I murmured.

He sighed and stood up straight, mumbling a quick goodbye and starting to walk away before I, acting on instinct once again, grabbed his wrist and tugged him back. He looked at me with a confused expression but didn't pull away.

"What is it?"

"You need to sleep and you're obviously not going to at your apartment."

He smiled, "Skye, I'll be fine."

"Nope. You are going to get some rest."

"Where? You want me to curl up on the floor beside the coffee machine?" he grinned when I laughed.

"No, but there's a couch in the employee break room. Go take a nap."

"Skye, seriously, I'll be fi-"

"No. I refuse to listen. Go take a nap," I demand, pointing to the door behind the counter that led to the tiny break room.

He sighed, but smiled and walked behind the counter towards the room and I stopped him, "Just don't let my boss catch you in there."

"I don't want to get you in trouble."

"You won't. Just don't get caught. You are a super spy, right?" I joke and he laughed.

"Right," he chuckled and went through the door as I turned to the line starting to form.

A few hours went by and Grant didn't come out of the break room. I checked on him once when there was no one in the store and found him curled up on the old, ripped couch, looking more peaceful than I'd ever seen him. Now, I was sitting behind the counter, eyeing the grungy guy staring at the beer and flipping through a magazine. The guy had finally given a pained sigh and left when two frantic looking people walked quickly into the store, looking around nervously before spotting me and walking over quickly.

"Hey, guys," I say, "What's wrong?"

"Ward's not at his apartment," Fitz said nervously.

"He's been gone for _ages_," Simmons added, "Have you seen him?"

"Relax, he's fine," I chuckle, "He was just a little tired, so I said he could rest here for a bit."

"Oh, good," Simmons breathed a sigh of relief, "We were worried something had happened to him."

"No, he's okay. I'll go get him. Can you guys watch the store for a second?" Fitz nodded and I walked back into the break room.

Grant was still curled up on the couch, pretty much unchanged since the last time I checked on him and I smiled softly, walking quietly over to him before squatting down near his face.

"Grant," I whisper, shaking his shoulder lightly.

He groaned and turned over so his back was to me and I laughed.

"C'mon, sleepy head, it's time to get up," I murmur, touching his back.

"No," he whined, sounding like a five year old who didn't want to go to school.

"Yes," I smile, "Get up."

He groaned again, but turned around so he was facing me again.

"Hi," he rasped, his voice thick with sleep.

"Hey," I grin, moving some hair out of his face.

"What time is it?" he asked blearily, yawning.

"About six, I think," I said and he sat up.

"I better get home. Fitzsimmons are probably worried," he murmured, rubbing his eyes.

"They were. They're here right now."

"They are?" I nod, "Are they okay?"

I hummed in response, taking a moment to appreciate the view in front of me. So this is what Grant Ward looks like when he just wakes up. I had to admit, it was a pretty attractive sight. His hair was mussed and his eyes were sleepy and when he stretched his arms over his head, all his muscles flexed and his shirt rode up a little bit, giving me a nice peek at his abs. I wouldn't mind waking up to him every morning, if only to see him like this more often. God, this _was_ getting complicated.

He gave me a lazy smile and stood up, straightening his clothes. I stood next to him and laughed when he ran his fingers through his hair, just making it stand up even more. He glared at me, and it would have been scary had it not been for the fact that his eyes were still hazy from his nap. I reached up and fixed his hair the best I could before pulling my hand away, grinning up at him.

"Thanks for letting me rest here," he said, his gravelly voice starting to fade.

"No problem. Any time you want a nap, just come on by," I offered and he laughed.

"I might take you up on that."

We walk out together and Fitzsimmons breathed a collective sigh of relief at seeing him.

"Ward, you had us so worried," Simmons scolded.

"Sorry, guys. I just fell asleep. Lost track of time."

"Oh, it's okay," she said, "Good news. Fitz and I will be moving back into our apartment tomorrow, so you'll have your apartment back to yourself."

"It was no bother really," Grant said and I tried not to snort.

"Well, we could stay if you'd like," Fitz offered.

"I'll help you pack," Ward said and this time, I did snort.

The science twins waved at me before walking out of the store, back to Grant's apartment. Grant turned to me and smiled.

"Thanks again for letting me sleep here."

"No problem. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," and with one final grin he was out the door.

After a week of happy, relaxed Ward who actually slept at night, he came in one day with his stoic 'I could kill you with my stare' face firmly, worryingly in place. He walked straight up to me, not touching his food. I frowned.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"There is an armed psycho in the neighborhood. You need to lock the store's door and not open it until I come back," he said quickly, looking out the window and scanning the people in the store.

My heart starts racing. A psycho _here_? In _this_ neighborhood? This was the friendliest, non-violent neighborhood in Los Angeles. I should know, I researched this place before taking the job.

"Why is he here?" I ask, nervously looking out the window.

"He's here for me. He works for this guy I used to work for, and when I had a bit of a falling out with my former boss, he sent a guy after me. He doesn't take too kindly to his protégées quitting."

"He's after _you?_" Now I was really worried.

"I'll be fine, Skye," he took a moment to look at me with a soft expression.

"If he's after _you, _then why are you going out there?"

"I've got to stop him, make sure he doesn't hurt anybody," he said, "I'll be back soon."

"Wait!" I call as he's walking to the door. He walks back to the counter.

"What? Skye, I really need to get out there."

"Take this," I say as I reach under the counter and thrust the object into his hands.

"Skye…" he gave me a surprised look, "why do you have a _gun?"_

"Please, Ward," I scoffed, "I work at a _convenience store. _Do you know how many druggies come in here thinking they can steal my money? A lot. I just wave the gun around a bit and they run faster than you would believe. Now _go. _Save the world."

He chuckled and put the gun in the waistband of his jeans. With one final look at me, he walked out of the store and I hurriedly locked the door after him. What little customers were in the store looked startled and when I calmly (I hope) informed them that a dangerous man is on the streets and to stay calm because it was under control, their fearful reactions made me anxious.

_Ward will be okay. He's good at his job. Besides, he's a robot and robots can't get hurt._ I repeated this to myself again and again as I go to the back of the store to lock the back door and get my manager's rifle. She always said 'you can never be too cautious'. Right now, I'm glad she's paranoid. When I got back to the front of the store, I told the people to go back to the break room and stay there until I told them they could come out. With everyone safe in the back of the store, I paced back in forth between the aisles, worried out of my mind. I mean, I knew that Grant risked his life all the time, but I was never nearby when it happened. What would happen if he got hurt? Or killed? I don't think I could handle that.

_No, _I told myself, _Ward will be okay. He's good at his job. _I kept on like that, pacing and worrying, for an hour, then two, then three. I was really starting to get scared. What if Ward was in trouble? No, he'll be fine. He has to be.

I stare out the window for another twenty minutes before I see Ward staggering down the street. Relieved, I unlocked the door and ran across the street, happy that he's okay. As soon as I'm close enough, I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck and my legs lock around his waist. He stumbled back a few steps and grunted in surprise but held on to me tightly.

"Oh my God, thank God you're okay," I murmur against his neck, tears running down my face.

"It's okay. I'm okay," he whispered into my hair, one hand on my lower back holding me in place, and one hand tangled in my hair.

"I was so worried," I said, pulling away to look at him.

His hand on my back moved to my thigh so he could hold me up easier, "I said I'd be fine," he said, moving some hair out of my face.

"That doesn't mean I can't worry," I said, looking at him, "Are you hurt?"

"Just a few cuts and bruises. Nothing I can't handle," he wiped the tears off my cheeks and gave me a soft smile.

"Are you sure? Because your bad and my bad are very different," I start to get down so I could examine him, but the hand on my leg tightened, holding me in place. I smile.

"I'm fine, Skye, I swear," he said, tucking some hair behind my ear. I grin, burying my face in his neck again.

"It's okay. You're safe. I'm fine," he murmured, lips ghosting over my hair as his thumb rubs soothing circles into my thigh.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I whimpered, "You could have died."

"Shhh," he whispered, "It's okay."

We stayed that way for a few minutes before we heard someone loudly clear their throat.

"Agent Ward?"

There's a woman in her late forties standing about ten feet away, her eyebrows raised. Embarrassed, I let go of Ward and step away, blushing profusely. Ward coughed and when I glanced at him, he was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. The woman looks on stoically, but I could tell she was surprised.

"Um, Agent May, this is Skye. Skye, this is Agent May," Grant introduced tensely, trying and failing to put on his "detached" face.

"Nice to meet you," I said nervously polite and May nodded in acknowledgement.

"You're needed for debrief," she said to Ward before promptly turning around and walking away.

I turn to Ward, "Well she's…..pleasant."

He laughed, "She's a little closed-off," he admitted, "She's better when you get to know her."

I take a moment to examine him for injuries. He looks okay for the most part, but there was a nasty bruise forming on his cheek. Satisfied that he was okay, I give him a bright smile.

"I have to go tell the customers they can leave the store. And you, my dear sir, deserve some tea and a good night's sleep." he smiles.

"Well Simmons makes tea after every mission. This should be no exception," I laugh.

"Well, at least you won't have to worry about Fitzsimmons staying at your place anymore," he laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling in the cutest way.

"That's for sure."

"Well, I better let those people go before one of them has a panic attack."

He grins, "Bye, Skye."

"See you later, Turbo."


	3. Chapter 3

When he walks into the store, his grimace makes me frown. What's wrong? Was he angry? Upset? Maybe he was uncomfortable with the hug. But that was a week ago, and he seemed fine before.

"Hey," I say cautiously and he gives a nod of acknowledgement, "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, fine," he says distractedly, shaking his head before giving me a stiff smile.

"Doesn't seem like it," I mutter "what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. Just work problems."

"Anything I can help with?" I ask, fully expecting a rejection.

"Actually, yes," when he noticed my shocked expression, he laughed.

"Really?"

He nodded, "Apparently, May told my boss about you and Fitzsimmons jumped in about how much I see you and how I smile when I'm with you and now he kind of wants to meet you," he looked up from his coffee at me, seeming embarrassed by this.

"Huh," I breathe, "Did not expect that."

"You don't have to," he says hurriedly, "He's just overly curious. It'll be fine."

"No, no, it's fine. Is he coming here or something?"

His embarrassment seemed to grow, "No. He wants you to meet everyone for dinner at my apartment."

"Oh," well that seemed like a recipe for awkward.

"You don't have to go," he repeated and I smiled.

"Grant, its fine. I'll go. When is this dinner?"

"Saturday."

I nod. It was Monday, so I'll have time to prepare. "Are there any team members I haven't met yet?"

He shook his head, "Only my boss."

I nod, "This is gonna be fun," I say and he laughs.

"Yeah, sure. Awkward silence and confusing science chatter. _So _much fun."

I laugh. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Let's hope so. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye," with a final grin, he's out the door.

I can't stop panicking about the upcoming dinner. I don't know what to wear, what I should say. Normally, I wouldn't get this flustered about a little dinner, but I can't seem to help it. Why was I so nervous? It wasn't a big deal, so why was I so scared? It wasn't like this would be my first impression. I had met Fitzsimmons a few times and sort of, awkwardly, met May. And even if this was my first impression, it shouldn't matter. It's not like Grant was my boyfriend and I was going to meet his family. His boss was just overly curious. Yeah, that was it. Nothing to worry about.

When I told Grant about my worries, he laughed.

"Don't worry about them. They're regular people," he said.

"But I barely know them."

"You don't have to go," he reminded me for the hundredth time. I grinned.

"I'm starting to think you don't want me to come," I teased.

"No," he chuckled, "It's not that, it's just, if you're not comfortable…"

"Grant, its fine. I want to go, I'm just being weird."

"I thought that was normal for you. Y'know. Part of your charm."

I laugh again, "Yeah? And what's part of your charm? Oh right, you have none."

He pretended to look hurt, "I have charm."

"I've never seen any," I tease.

He grins, "I charmed you, didn't I?"

I smiled, "I was just being nice when we met. You're the one that fell victim to _my_ irresistible charm."

He laughed, "Yeah, you're incessant teasing and name calling. _So charming._"

"You love my nicknames."

"Yeah, I do. Maybe you do have charm after all," he smiled.

"Thank you so much," I said sarcastically, but I could feel a blush begin to creep onto my cheeks.

He laughed, "Don't worry about the dinner, you'll be fine. Just be yourself."

"Okay," I grin, "For the record, you still have no charm," I call as he starts walking out the door.

"Sure, I do. It's just hidden, like a secret weapon. I pull it out when I need a beautiful girl to meet my boss. Bye."

"Bye, Super spy," I laugh, but I can feel my blush getting deeper. I really need to learn not blush so easily.

"I have nothing to wear," I whine the next day.

"Skye," he grins, "it's not formal. Wear whatever you want."

I sigh, "You're no help. What are you wearing?"

"I don't know. Probably a variant of this," he says, gesturing to his clothes.

"Okay, so, leather jacket and white t-shirt. Real fancy, Ward."

"Like I said, it's not going to be formal. Relax, I'm sure you'll look fine in whatever you pick."

"Thanks," I grumble, "Still doesn't help."

"Sorry, I'm not really into fashion."

"Obviously," I reply and he laughs. "What's your boss going to wear?"

"Probably a suit," he answers and upon seeing my panicked expression, adds, "He always wears suits."

"That doesn't really make me feel better."

"Just wear something casual. You'll be fine."

"Yeah, yeah."

He laughs, "Don't worry," he puts his hand on my shoulder and talks slowly, "It will be okay."

I laugh, "Okay, okay."

"I'll see you later, Skye."

"Bye."

Two days until the nerve-wracking dinner. I hope I'm ready by then.

"Tell me about them," I say the next day.

"Who, my team?" I nod, "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

He grins, "My boss's name is Phil Coulson. He's a very intelligent man."

"Is he nice?"

"Yes, he's extremely nice. And kind. He really knows how to deal with people."

"Is he a good boss?"

"Yeah, he's patient, which is important when you have to deal with Fitzsimmons constantly."

I laugh, "Tell me about them."

"Simmons is a biochemist, Fitz is an engineer. They're basically two halves of one brain, but they're the smartest people I've ever met. Simmons is really compassionate, Fitz always sees the best in people. She cheats in Scrabble and he loves food and monkeys more than life itself, I believe."

"How does she cheat at Scrabble?"

"She uses her Britishness against us!"

I laugh, "Maybe she's just better at words than you."

"I speak six languages, I doubt that. She cheats."

"Uh-huh," I murmur amusedly, "And May? What is she like?"

"She's incredibly brave. Very selfless, a great agent."

"She's kind of scary," I admit.

"She can be kind of….intimidating. But she's a great person."

"Do you like them? Do you think I'll like them?" I ask.

"I think you'll love them."

"Will they like me?" I hate that I sound as nervous as I do.

"Skye," he breathes, and tucks some hair behind my ear, letting his hand rest against my cheek, "they're going to love you," he murmurs.

I allow myself to lean into his touch, "Thanks, Grant."

He smiles at me softly for a few moments before pulling away, "I gotta get going. My apartment's not going to clean itself. I don't know if you know this, but I have company coming over tomorrow."

I laugh, "Well, I hope you have fun with your guests."

"I doubt I will. See, I've got this girl coming over. She's really talkative and loud, she'll barely let you get a word in," he grins.

"Ugh, sounds terrible," I joke.

"Ehh, it's not so bad, sometimes she's interesting."

"Sometimes," I laugh, "You taking her home to meet the family?"

"Yeah, I'm introducing her to the most neurotic people I know. She'll fit right in."

"Well, you must like this girl if you're willing to introduce her to your crazy friends."

"Yeah, I guess I must. Bye," he grins.

"See you tomorrow," I smile.

Today's the day. The day of the dinner I've been freaking out about. Grant's been by twice today to pick up ingredients for the top secret dinner he's fixing.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he grinned when I asked him what he was making.

Now, it was just after seven, and I was closing the store for the day. Grant is supposed to pick me up in front of the store at seven thirty to take me back to his apartment, so I wait on a bench outside the store and fret about my outfit. Despite what Ward had said, I decided to dress a little fancy, in a soft pink dress I normally reserve for parties. I'm so nervous, I can barely sit still, crossing my legs then uncrossing them, pulling my hair back then letting it fall back into place. Luckily for me, Mr. Punctual got here early, so I didn't have time to chicken out and fake a cold.

He hadn't been lying about his outfit. It was pretty much exactly as it was yesterday, only today his shirt was grey. Upon seeing him, I began to feel overdressed, but couldn't bring myself to regret it when I saw the almost awed look on his face.

"You look incredible," he murmured when he reached me and I grinned shyly.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself."

He laughed, "Thanks. Ready to go?" he asked and offered me his arm.

I nodded and wrapped my arm around his, clutching the soft leather of his jacket in both hands. He smiled down at me before smoothing down some of my hair.

"You're gonna be fine. They'll love you. Just breathe."

I nod again and let out an unsteady breath. Here goes nothing.


	4. Chapter 4

FINALLY! I am so sorry for waiting so long to post this chapter, I had awful writer's block and could not think of ANYTHING. I've never been to one of those awkward 'meet the family' dinners, so if it's not realistic or something, I'm sorry. Here you go, the awkward dinner scene with the team. Enjoy!

His apartment was not at all what I expected. It was all pale wood floors and big windows and soft looking furniture instead of the dark floors and chrome finishes I imagined. The walls were a welcoming navy blue and the furniture was worn and looked comforting.

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" he laughed, looking at me.

"No, not at all," I grinned.

"C'mon, the others are in the dining room," and with that, my nerves returned full force.

"What am I supposed to talk about?" I asked quietly, clutching his arm anxiously.

"Talk about whatever you want. They're just normal people," when he noticed my nervous expression, he moved to stand in front of me, taking my face in his hands.

"Hey," he murmured, thumb stroking my cheek softly, "They're going to love you, okay? You have nothing to worry about."

I nod. I don't even know why I'm so nervous, it's not like he's my boyfriend and I'm meeting his parents. But it's Grant. And he's pretty much my best friend, and if these people are important to him, they must be good people to be around.

"You okay?" he asked and I nodded again.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze before steering me toward a room with a long, dark wooden table and large windows. And five other people. Staring right at me.

My nerves kicked up to a level that should not be humanly possible as a man in a nice, pressed suit that probably costs more than what I make in a month, walked up to me, his hand extended.

"Coulson, Skye," Ward introduced formally, "Skye, this is my boss, Agent Phil Coulson."

"It's nice to meet you, sir," I said shyly, shaking his hand.

He gave me a warm smile, "Call me Coulson."

I smiled and Ward squeezed my shoulders again.

Simmons skittered up to me, giving me a bright smile, "It's nice to see you again, Skye."

"You, too, Simmons," I replied with a smile.

"Nice to see you on your feet," May said from her sear and I blushed, thinking about the last time we met.

Ward cleared his throat awkwardly and Simmons gave me a confused look. I shook my head, not wanting to explain the comment. Grant shot May a look and she shrugged, unconcerned.

"Well, I'm glad to finally meet you, Skye," Coulson said, "I've heard a lot about you."

I flushed embarrassingly and raise an eyebrow at Ward who shrugged helplessly.

"Fitzsimmons are chatty," he replied and the two scientists protested.

"We are not!"

"We just like to talk-"

"-about things we've never seen before-"

"-like you smiling," Simmons finished their dizzying word dance.

"Come on, guys! It's not that shocking," he protested and I laughed.

"Ward smiled?" Coulson questioned, looking at Fitzsimmons who nodded eagerly, "Wow."

Ward groaned and I grinned, "What's with you and smiling, Grant?" I asked, noticing Fitz's surprised squeak.

"I don't know."

"You don't do it," May deadpanned.

"I could say the same about you," he quipped.

"But you have such a lovely smile," Simmons said and I smiled.

"She's right," I murmured and he blushed. I laughed.

"Aww, Robot. I thought your system was used to compliments. No need to overheat."

He laughed and Coulson's eyes widened, "I am used to compliments."

"Coulda fooled me," I teased.

"Wow," Coulson said again, "Who are you and what have you done with Agent Ward?" he demanded.

Ward groaned again, "C'mon, sir. I'm not that different than normal."

"Tell that to the smile on your face and the girl on your arm," Fitz replied, mouth stuffed with pretzels.

"Fitz," Ward protested, "we're about to have dinner."

"I was hungry," he defended, "I was going to eat one of your odorless, tasteless special agent bars, but you actually have food in your kitchen. Who knew?"

"I would have expected spinach and protein powder," Simmons commented and Ward rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't there be a rule against making fun of someone at their house when they're making you dinner?"

"Nope. That's no fun," I said and he chuckled.

"We'll see how you like it next time at your place."

"Oh, really?" he nodded, "But there's nothing to tease," I declared loftily, "I'm flawless."

His laugh was warm and booming, startling Fitzsimmons and causing Coulson's eyes to look as if they were going to fall out of his head, "Sure, little miss snorts-when-she-laughs," he quipped and I slapped his arm. It only made him laugh harder.

"Hey!" I defended, "I can't help it. And it's not annoying, it's cute," I said stubbornly.

"It is," he admitted and I tried not to blush. I failed.

Coulson cleared his throat awkwardly and I yanked myself away from where I had been leaning closer to Grant.

"So, Skye, from what I hear, you have an interest in computers?"

"Yes, sir. I've always been really good with them and I hope to make a career out of it someday."

"If you don't mind me asking," Simmons started politely, "but why are you a cashier if you have a clear talent with technology?"

"Well, it's kind of hard to get a tech job when you're a high school drop-out and a girl's gotta eat, so…" I shrugged and left the sentence unfinished.

Simmons nodded empathetically and normally, I would feel really uncomfortable about telling such an intelligent person about my unfinished high school education, but Simmons' kind face made it easy to be comfortable around her. Kind of like with Grant, but with him, you feel like you earned his trust. And I loved that.

"That's very responsible, Skye," she commended and I smiled.

"Not really," I admitted, "A startling amount of money I make is used to pay for Netflix, Nutella and pizza. And my book collection."

Ward chuckled, "I don't doubt that for a second. You have a book collection?"

I looked up at him and smiled, "Yeah. It's pretty impressive, I must admit. I have all the classics. Jane Austin, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, Ray Bradbury, Richelle Mead, Rainbow Rowell, John Green. I must have a thousand books."

"Have you read them all?" Fitz asked curiously.

"No. but I plan to," I said simply and Ward smiled.

"I didn't know you liked to read," he said.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Robot. Stick around, I can only get more fascinating."

He laughed, shaking his head, "I'm gonna get the food. Don't scare her," he warned the team before disappearing into what I assumed was the kitchen.

Simmons scoffed, "Scare her," she murmured to Fitz, "it's not like we're monsters or anything. So Skye…." And that's when the inquisition began.

Questions, questions, and more questions. Right after the other, rapid fire style.

"What's your full name?" Simmons.

"Just Skye."

"Why just Skye?" That was Fitz.

"I'm an orphan. I hated the name they gave me at the orphanage."

"How old are you? You look much younger than Ward." Fitz again.

"I'm twenty-four." And the questions continued in odd, random order until they asked me a question I was semi-comfortable answering.

"So how did you and Agent Ward meet?" Coulson asked as Ward came out of the kitchen carrying a dish of delicious looking sesame chicken and rice.

"Guys, I thought I told you not to scare her," he said, setting the platter onto the table and gesturing for me to sit down next to him.

"We're not scaring her," Simmons argued, "We're just asking questions."

"Well, stop," he replied, but I could tell he was amused.

"What's wrong with being curious?" Fitz asked, serving himself a big helping of the chicken.

"Nothing, but there's a difference between curiosity and inquisition."

Fitz grumbled, but didn't say anything else. I gave Ward a soft smile and sat down.

"No, Grant, it's fine. We met when I was at work. He came to the store every day at the exact same time to get the same thing. One day I thought I'd be nice and get it for him. He was suspicious at first, but he warmed up eventually."

"What a charming story," Simmons exclaimed, smiling.

I grinned at her. It was a nice story, the kind you tell your kids about. Wait. Kids? No, I scolded myself, don't think like that. We're just best friends, nothing more. No kids involved. Yet. No no no no. I just have to put it out of my head, I told myself. I can do that. It won't be that hard.

And it wasn't. Until it was.

The dinner went on pretty smoothly for the most part, with Fitz and Simmons trading off on asking prying questions about my personal life. Ward was right, they could be exhausting. 'Skye, that's a nice name, why'd you pick that?' or 'Why are you so interested in computers?'

"I don't know," I replied, feeling slightly self-conscious at the questions, "I'm just naturally really good with computers so I like working with them, I guess."

Simmons nodded thoughtfully and I tried to change the subject away from myself, "What about you? You said you were in Bio-chem? That sounds fascinating."

Her eyes lit up at the mention, "Oh, it is," she exclaimed, rambling on about sciency stuff with Fitz finishing her sentences. I looked over at Grant and he smiled.

"Exhausted yet?" he whispered and I nodded, trying to listen to Fitzsimmons, which was hard considering I barely understood a word they said.

Ward chuckled, "Just wait until Coulson starts talking about Captain America."

I tried really hard not to squeal, "I love Captain America!"

He laughed and we didn't even have to worry about the science twins hearing us because they were lost in their own world.

"Nerd," he muttered and I shoved his shoulder, making him laugh again.

Fitzsimmons eventually turned the subject back to me. "So, Skye. Why did you decide to become Ward's friend?" Fitz questioned, shoveling food into his mouth.

"I didn't really decide to be Ward's friend, it just sort of happened," I said.

"How did you get him to smile?" Coulson asked and Ward rolled his eyes.

"You too, sir?" he asked.

Coulson shrugged, "I've told you hundreds of jokes and you've never even acknowledged them. I want to know her secret."

I laughed, "No secret. I don't even think I told a joke to get him to smile. I was just being nice. I guess he just likes me," I said and he smiled, putting his hand on my knee. And all the hard work I put into trying not to think of Ward as anything other than a best friend crumbled.

"Should I be offended?" Coulson joked.

"No, sir," Ward replied, "It's just business."

Coulson nodded, "I get it. Don't mix business with pleasure and all that mess."

"So I'm your pleasure?" I whispered, placing my hand on the one he had on my knee. Oh, why did I have to say that? Why must I torture myself with my lack of a filter?

He blushed and Simmons giggled, "You two are absolutely adorable. How long have you been dating?"

Because it is the ultimate cliché, I just so happened to be taking a sip of water when she said that, and choked rather embarrassingly on it, spluttering awkwardly while Ward tried his hardest not to laugh.

"We're, uh," I coughed, "we're not dating."

May, who hadn't said a word since I had gotten there, scoffed, "That's not what it seemed like when I saw you before," she said and I blushed. There was a lot of blushing happening at this dinner, I noticed.

"What happened before?" Simmons asked eagerly.

"Nothing," Ward said, too quickly to be believable

"I found her wrapped around Ward after Kaminsky came after him," May said and Coulson raised an eyebrow.

"It was just a hug," I defended weakly.

May raised a disbelieving eyebrow and my blush deepened. Ward coughed awkwardly.

"You two are strange," Fitz observed and I laughed, trying to quell my embarrassment.

"Right, because you and Simmons are normal," Ward replied with a smirk and Fitz shrugged.

"Normal's boring," I said and Fitz nodded eagerly and Coulson smiled.

"You'd fit into our world quite well with that mentality," he said and I noticed the warning look Ward gave him. I wondered why.

"I'm not really cut out for all the stuff you guys do," I said quickly, feeling the tension between the two men begin to grow. Also, Ward's hand on my knee had gone stiff and his fingers were digging into my skin. Not painful, but pretty unpleasant. I pried his hand off my leg, lacing our fingers together and giving his a squeeze. He relaxed marginally and gave me a small, slightly forced smile.

"I'm sorry," Coulson said, "We're not on the clock, and I'm sure talking about this is strange for you."

"Not really," I admitted, "I'm actually pretty fascinated in all things supernatural. I especially love Captain America," I said in an attempt to shift the subject to something a little more positive.

It worked. Coulson's face took on a dreamy expression as he launched into a story about how the great Steve Rogers fought through a Hydra base to save his best friend, Bucky. I tried not to hang onto his every word like the nerd I am, but failed miserably, keeping my eyes glued to the older man as he regaled us with stories about my favorite Avenger. By the time he was finished, everyone had finished their dinner and was listening uninterestedly to Coulson speak. Ward had disappeared at some point.

"Where's Grant?" I asked.

"In the kitchen getting dessert," Simmons replied.

I nodded and sat awkwardly as everyone else broke off into pairs to talk about things I couldn't possibly understand. Fitzsimmons were both gesturing wildly, arguing about something that involved alien technology. May and Coulson were murmuring about something and I think I heard the words 'missions' and 'different' and 'the girl'. I focused back on Fitzsimmons, knowing they were talking about me. Thankfully, Ward walked in with a plate of chocolate éclairs, saving me from my impending awkward babble.

He sat the éclairs on the table and smiled at me as everyone grabbed an éclair and continued their separate conversations. So it seemed the interrogation part of the night was over. Maybe I could breathe again.

"So?" Ward started, taking a bite of the chocolaty dessert, "What do you think?"

"I like them," I said, looking around at the group of people, "They're….different," he laughed, "but they're nice."

"Yeah, they're good people. A bit exhausting," he admitted and I chuckled, "but I like working with them."

"They seem like they'd be fun to work with."

"We are," Simmons said and I turned to stare at her.

"They're a bit snoopy, too," Ward murmured in my ear, "but how can you stay mad at little woodland creatures?" he said and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

"Okay, guys, I think I'm going to walk Skye home. You can stay or leave, I don't care. Just stay out of my room, Fitz," Ward said and Fitz made a noise of protest.

"Why?" I questioned with a teasing smile, "Scared he'll find your handcuffs?"

Ward spluttered awkwardly as Simmons looked at me confusedly. Coulson raised his eyebrows and choked on a surprised laugh.

"Why would he have handcuffs in his bedroom?" she asked.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Ward wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me to the front door.

"Buy guys," he called and I looked back and smiled.

"Wait!" Simmons called and ran up to us, "I would love to get some tea with you sometime, Skye. Get to know you. It'd be nice to have a friend my age."

"I'm your age," Fitz protested.

"A female friend, Fitz," Simmons said exasperatedly.

"Um, sure, Simmons, I'd love to," I said and looked at Ward who shrugged.

"Lovely," Simmons clapped her hands together happily and skittered back to stand beside her other science half.

"It was nice to meet you all," I said as Ward started to pull me towards the door again.

A chorus of 'You, too's' were heard before Ward shut the door to his apartment. I let out a loud laugh when we were at the front door of his apartment building. His glare was weak and unconvincing and eventually cracked into an amused grin as he chuckled.

"That was fun," I said, rubbing my arms against the draft of the partially open front doors.

He let out a disbelieving laugh, "Fun? Not exactly the word I would use to describe tonight, but I'm glad you thought so," he smiled, taking off his leather jacket and handing it to me. When I protested, he just raised an eyebrow and stared at me until I took it.

"Thank you," I muttered, slipping the jacket on. The sleeves fell way past my hands and the jacket stopped around my mid-thigh, but it was warm and smelled like him. Like soap and heady cologne and gunpowder.

Grant held out his hand and I entwined our fingers together, grinning up at him as we walked the few blocks back to my tiny apartment. We made witty small talk on the walk, his arm wound around my waist and my head resting on his chest. All too soon, the walk was over and we stood on the steps leading to my apartment. I smiled up at him and he grinned softly at me.

"We're here," he said.

"Yep," I grinned as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"I had a really good time tonight."

"Me, too," he laughed.

"You're a really good cook. I never would have guessed?"

He laughed, "Thanks."

"I like your team," I commented.

"Yeah, they're good people."

"Do you think they liked me?" I asked nervously and he smiled softly.

"They loved you."

"How do you know?" I'm not used to be so self-conscious. It's very unpleasant.

"I know them. They love you," he said and I nodded.

"I would invite you inside, but it's a mess in there and it's really late."

"No, yeah, that's fine. I wasn't going to ask to come inside or anything."

I raised an eyebrow. Grant Ward rambling? Maybe some of his wires fried.

"I mean, it's not that I don't want to go inside," he continued and I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling, "I'd love to see your place, but it's late and you didn't even invite me in, so…" he trailed off, looking down.

I couldn't take it anymore. It was just too adorable. The big, tough robot staring at his shuffling feet, smiling bashfully and blushing endearingly. It was too cute; it made him even more charming.

I laughed lightly, putting my hands on his shoulders and pulling up on my tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek. His blush deepened and I laughed again.

"Goodnight, Grant. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," he said, finally looking up from his feet to give me a brilliant smile. The kind of smile that could outshine the sun.

I was too happy about the success of the dinner and the adorableness that is Grant Ward that I forgot I was still wearing his jacket.

Okay...tell me what you thought! I looovvvee reviews. And ideas for future chapters. And Grant Ward. But that's not the point. There was A LOT of blushing in this chapter, wasn't there? Wow, I'm rambling. Sorry! Hope you liked it! Hope to post soon.


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